Just a Boy
by MissCullen98
Summary: Loosely based on the 1999 film 'Notting Hill'. Isabella 'Bella' Swan is just your average girl, living an equally average life. Yet when famous actor Edward Mason walks into her life, Bella finds herself being swept away in a Hollywood romance. Will she be able to deal with the pressures Edward's job offer? Will Edward be able to open up to her?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Lights flashing.

"Edward! Edward! Over here!"

Turn to the right. Crack the "iconic" smirk. Frantic fans squeal in delight. The paparazzi shout for more.

"Edward! What are you wearing tonight?"

"Edward, fill us in on your relationship with co-star Tanya Denali!"

"Mr Mason, is it true that the Dusk saga is doing a sequel?"

The tirade of questions continue flowing as he slowly made his way down the red carpet, smile still firmly in place. Welcome to the glamorous life of Edward Anthony Mason, the famous British actor. The breakthrough star of the year! The sexiest man alive! The heartthrob of tween's fantasies!

Yet this was all merely a façade. To the world, Edward Mason was a confident, handsome player with an incredible talent. Everyone failed to identify the pure longing in his emerald green eyes. Longing to escape the lonely road stardom had brought him to. While Edward still felt immense passion for his job, he couldn't help but feel wishful for a life where fame didn't define him. People did not recognise that he was just a boy. And much to Edward's chagrin they probably never would until he was old and his looks had faded.

Edward pushed these thoughts the back of his mind, and focused at the task in hand. Tomorrow he would be flying to Seattle, to begin his newest project 'Spotlight'.

"Edward, over here!"

Edward turned to the left and smiled.


	2. First Sight

_**Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong to Stephanie Meyer! Also various lines are taken from both the Twilight Saga and Notting Hill.**_

 _ **I just want to say a big thank you to those who are following and reviewing my story. You don't understand how much I appreciate it! Much love.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

 **Chapter 1 – First Sight**

' _Two households, both alike in dignity / In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, / From ancient grudge break to new mutiny / Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean…'_

Bella Swan could easily recite these words without batting an eyelid having read this play more times that she could count. Whilst the tale was somber and always brought her to tears, Bella was absolutely enraptured by the story of these two star crossed lovers.

However, despite being a closet romantic, love was something she severely lacked in her life, much to her mother Renee's dismay. At the ripe old age of twenty five, Renee Dwyer would have been married, divorced and with child by now! 

Although Bella was open to finding someone, she was perfectly content with her life… Well that, and the fact that there was no one else who could truly capture her attention in this microscopic town.

She lived in the quiet, but pleasant town of Forks, which housed no more than one thousand people. Bella moved here at seventeen when her father Charlie was diagnosed with cancer. When Charlie passed three years later, Bella found herself tethered to the place where her father had lived his short life.

After selling her childhood home, Bella bought a relatively average sized apartment that conveniently sat five minutes away from the bookshop where she worked.

Having cared for her father constantly, Bella couldn't help but feel lonely when she finally got her own place. This led her to putting in an advertisement for a roommate.

Less than three months later, Jasper Whitlock moved in. At first Bella had been very nervous about sharing a space with a man, particularly one as handsome as Jasper. But it was evident from the beginning that their relationship was purely platonic. Jasper was a stoner, and came across extremely mellow and at times quite dim. But the irresponsible, lanky, blonde-haired man became the brother Bella had always wanted.

 _Ding._

Bella raised her head from her tatty, old novel to welcome in the first customer of the day. Days at the bookshop were often slow for Bella as very few people came in, hence the reason why her head was buried in her favorite play.

Bella's eyes unconsciously traveled up the height of the man who was now browsing the classics section. Even though she could only see his profile, it was obvious to Bella that this man was very attractive.

Standing at an impressive six foot three, the customer wore classic black Converses. His black jeans were slung low on his hips and when he reached to the top shelf, his white v neck t-shirt and black leather jacket would rise, revealing a slither of pale white skin. Bella bit her bottom lip, entranced by his movements.

A black baseball cap sat backwards on his head, covering his hair, and his eyes was equally hidden behind a pair of Ray-Bans. Bella was under the impression that he was hiding for some unbeknownst reason, silently concluding that it was nowhere near sunny enough for sunglasses.

She shrugged to herself and turned back to the book. But she found that she couldn't for the life of her concentrate. It was like she was hyperaware of his presence. _C'mon Bella, don't even entertain the thought. He would never be interested in you anyway. You're the plain Jayne._

Bella never felt overly confident in her appearance. Her average brown hair fell long, neither straight nor curly below the middle of her back. She was too pale, even for Forks, which did not make sense having spent the vast majority of her childhood in sunny Phoenix. Her eyes were the same color as her hair- a muddy brown. Not a bright blue like her best friend Alice's, or a soft green like her other friend Esme's. She was just… Bella: boring and predictable.

"Excuse me?"

Bella jumped from her inner musings to find her one and only customer standing before her desk, book in hand. Bella's voice got stuck in her throat as she stared at his sharp jaw-line, straight nose and rosy red lips. _I wonder what it would be like to kiss him…_

"Sorry, Miss? Would I be able to purchase this?" the Adonis said, holding up a copy of _Dracula._

"Oh! Um… sorry!" Bella blushed tomato red, _he's going to think I'm such an idiot_ she scolded.

"Uh that would be… nine dollars p-please" Bella said, stuttering. She inwardly rolled her eyes at the pathetic display she was putting on in front of this gorgeous man. _Way to go Bella, you're officially a loser!_

Once he handed over the money, Bella expected him to hightail it out of there, but he stayed rooted to the spot. She raised her eyes to his face and saw that he was staring at her book.

"Really? Romeo and Juliet?" He asked in a tone of unmistakable disgust.

"What's wrong with Romeo and Juliet?" Bella said defensively, all nervousness gone.

"Well, I've always found the character of Romeo to be a bit pitiful."

Bella narrowed her eyes, offended; she'd always had a crush on the fictional character. But her expression did not deter the man.

"First of all he's in love with this Rosaline. Don't you think that makes him a little fickle? And then, a few minutes after his own wedding, he goes onto kill the cousin of his wife. That's not brilliant - mistake after mistake. Could he have not ruined his happiness more thoroughly?"

Bella's jaw had dropped. Not only had he given a reasonable argument, but he also possessed the sexiest British accent that had made her completely lose her train of thought.

She shook her head, in an attempt to get out of her stupor. His superior smirk spurred her on. "Well I think you've missed the whole point of the play! Shakespeare uses the sub-plots to offer a clearer view of the actions of the main characters, Romeo's infatuation with Rosaline being a prime example. His obsession with her stands in obvious contrast for his later love for Juliet. It provides the audience with a comparison, through which the audience can see the seriousness of Romeo and Juliet's love and marriage," She took note that she was making wild hand gestures, and continued.

"Also Shakespeare is demonstrating the depth of Romeo with the death of Tybalt. It shows that he is three-dimensional character. His love for his family and friends make him a stronger person, and it is his passion which dictate his actions."

Silence.

This time it was the man who had lost his voice, his mouth was opening and closing like a fish.

Bella felt a flash of satisfaction seep through her body as she crossed he arms waiting patiently for the previously smug male model. After several minutes of quiet, the customer coughed.

"Well… that's a valid point."

Bella's posture softened and she couldn't control her giggles. Her laughter was infectious and soon the duo was laughing hard, tears streaming down their cheeks at the absurdity of the moment. Once their amusement had subsided, the man spoke again.

"Thank you for that enlightening conversation…" He hinted

"Bella"

"Bella" her name came out in a whisper. Her heart stuttered as she could've sworn he muttered the word 'beautiful'. _Wishful thinking._

"Anytime…" She replied, voice trailing off copying him.

"Edward." He said, giving a small, almost nervous smile.

They both stared at one another. Bella wished she could take his sunglasses off and see his eyes. She would bet her apartment on them being just as beautiful as the rest of him.

"Well I must get going… I hope to see you soon." Edward said shyly, which contrasted greatly with the confident demeanor he held when he first walked in.

"Me too." Bella stated softly.

Edward slowly backed out of the shop, purchased book in hand, face still turned in Bella's direction.

When the bell dinged, signaling his departure, Bella turned around, and slid down to the floor.

 _Holy Shit._


	3. A Moment

_**Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong to Stephanie Meyer! Also various lines are taken from both the Twilight Saga and Notting Hill.**_

 _ **I am so sorry that this is very, very late. I am at boarding school, doing my A Levels, so there is not much time for updating! But I am on my Christmas holidays at the moment, so hopefully the story will see a bit more progression!**_

 _ **Enjoy**_

 **A Moment**

It had been nearly five days since Edward had been in the bookshop, and Bella was starting to lose all hope in ever seeing him again. She knew that her wishes were fruitless in the first place. That the connection she had felt with him was totally unrequited on his part. So she continued with her normal business: working in the bookshop, going back to the apartment, cooking for her and Jasper, reading, bed: repeat.

It was on a cloudy Wednesday morning when she decided to take a break from her daily routine and make a quick dash to the one coffeehouse in Forks- Eclipse.

As soon as she walked in, she was welcomed by the strong smell of caffeine, and the bright grin of her best friend Alice Brandon. She had known Alice from her days at the University of Washington.

She remembered coming out of her English Literature class, only to be blocked by a four-foot pixie with an extremely judgemental expression on her face. Alice had then proceeded in calling Bella's wardrobe "a walking car crash" and a "travesty to the world of fashion", before awarding herself the title of Bella's "fairy godmother" and "new best friend".

Bella admired Alice hugely. Alice had dreams of being a fashion designer from a very young age, but lacked both the money and material to fulfil it. Her father was completely against the very idea of his daughter having such an unstable occupation, so withdrew her trust fund and had barely spoken to her since she went to UW to study fashion. Alice had been forced to tackle three jobs to achieve her ambitions, but did it all with a smile on her face and a level of optimism that Bella could not even comprehend.

"Hiya Tinker-Bella! Finally taken time out of your busy schedule to visit your old friend?" Alice said in a playful yet accusatory voice.

Bella rolled her eyes, "Ali, I saw you three days ago".

"Still," Alice sniffed "I miss my best friend."

"I missed you too, Al."

"Soooo…" Alice continued.

"Oh no…"

"I know exactly what you can do to make it up to me!" Alice enthused, perking up from her 'sorrow'.

"No. No more shopping trips. I still have blisters from our last trip." Bella interrupted. She loved Alice with all her heart, but there was only so much she could take. They didn't even shop properly anyway, since neither of them could really afford it. They would just walk into hundreds upon hundreds of shops, and Alice would weep over the things she couldn't buy. Bella did not really understand why she did it to herself. It was genuine torture.

"Well I was actually thinking more along the lines of dinner at Esme and Carlisle's." Alice said.

"Is Carlisle cooking again?" Bella asked cautiously, Carlisle was a very attractive man, with a beautiful wife and an equally amazing job. However, the man could cook for shit.

"If I said yes would you still consider coming?"

"Last time I came, I had food poisoning" Bella deadpanned.

"He's trying his best. You know how difficult it's been for them," Alice said sympathetically.

Bella winced. A little under two years ago, Esme, Carlisle's wife had gotten in a car accident and had lost their baby. Both had understandably, went into complete shut down and were still recovering from the loss to this day. Carlisle had made it his life mission to put their life back in order but it was easier said than done.

"I'll bring dessert." Bella said.

"Great," Alice chirped, "So what can I get you?"

"A cappuccino to go please."

"Also," Alice said as she set to work on Bella's coffee, "Mike asked for you earlier."

Bella groaned. Mike Newton was the most desperate boy on the planet, and had followed Bella around like a lost puppy since Junior Year of High School.

"Why won't he just take the hint?" Bella moaned.

"Why don't you just go out with him on one date? You're twenty five and you've only had two serious boyfriends." Alice said, handing over the steaming coffee.

"Maybe I am just not interested in anyone at the moment…" Bella lied, her mind wandering to Edward.

"Riiiight"

"Gotta go now!" Bella said quickly, noticing the suspicious note in her friend's tone.

She hurried out of the shop, barely looking where she was going, before knocking into a wall of steel, landing on the ground.

"Fuck!"

Bella looked up wide eyed at her assaulter, who was furiously jumping up and down; her hot coffee spilled down his green shirt.

"Bloody hell! Shit! Bollocks! Buggar!"

The English curse words strewing from his mouth, finally registered in Bella's mind.

"Edward?" she gasped, horrified.

The man stopped his swearing and looked down at the petite brunette, sitting at his feet.

"Oh my god, Bella! I'm so sorry!"

"No, No!" Bella said, standing quickly, completely humiliated "it was my fault, I wasn't looking where I was going! Are you okay! Oh my god! You've must be burnt!" She rambled. Despite her utter mortification, it didn't escape her that he was wearing a hat and glasses again today.

"No, it's okay! I mean, it was really hot, but it's okay!" Edward assured her, smiling against the searing pain.

"My apartment is just there," Bella pointed towards the block of apartments that was situated on the corner of the street. "I can lend you one of my roommates shirts?" She said, fiddling with the thread of her sleeves, looking down at the ground.

Edward reached his hand out and brought her face up to his. "That would be fantastic. Thank you Bella," he said gently.

"Fantastic" Bella repeated, slightly dazzled.

…

"Coffee?"

Edward's lips quirked up in amusement

"Maybe not," Bella answered herself, cheeks flushing.

"Coke? Water?"

Edward stayed silent.

"Or maybe something to eat?" She offered, "We have pop tarts, and hummus, and some… gone off yoghurt…" she trailed off in disgust. She looked up at Edward, who was staring at her, smirking, mirth dancing in his features. She was sure it would also be shining his eyes. But she wouldn't know. He still hadn't taken off those goddamn glasses off!

"Are you sure you're not a vampire Edward?" Bella questioned jokingly, though the thought frightened her a bit. It kind of made sense: his godly looks, his refusal to eat, the insistent hiding of his eyes.

"I've already eaten" Edward chuckled.

"That's just what a vampire would say."

Edward outright laughed at that.

"I'll just go get that shirt. It may take a while, my roommate is a little… messy." She said, deciding that she needed space to collect herself "The living room, I through there... make yourself at home!"

She waited till Edward nodded, before running to Jaspers room. It smelt like pot, socks and mouldy pizza. She would have to talk to him about that later.

She finally found a clean blue t-shirt at the bottom of his wardrobe, which was a little tatty, but would have to do.

Bella walked quietly towards the living area, surprised to find Edward, looking at her photos, back facing her, cap and glasses removed. She coughed slightly, causing him to whirl around in a panic.

"Oh!"

Edward's bronze sex hair was on full display, his gorgeous emerald eyes wide with worry. He was absolutely beautiful. And totally familiar.

"Y-y-you're Edward Mason." She said in an awed voice.

Edward Mason was the biggest actor on the planet right now. He had been in a number of blockbuster movies, his most recent being the Dusk franchise.

"Bella…" he said calmly, yet cautiously. He was walking slowly to her, with purpose, as though she was either going to run out screaming or attack him, both reasonable options.

Instead she said, "So I was kind of right with the whole vampire thing" referencing to the Dusk series offhandedly.

Edward stopped, completely stumped.

"Here's the shirt Edward, you can change in my room. It's the first door to the right." Bella was surprising herself with her blasé attitude, because on the inside she was completely freaking out.

Edward was equally shocked.

"Thank you" his response very hesitant and uneasy.

"There will be no paps here when you get back. I promise." Bella said comfortingly.

Edward nodded, before retreating silently.

 _Wow. The most sought after actor, People's sexiest man of the year, Oscar nominee is in my bedroom._

 _That's not something you hear everyday._

She bounced up and down, spun around and withheld a scream at the very thought, before regaining composure.

When Edward re-entered the room, Bella had gotten over her little fan girl moment. She didn't however stop herself from admiring how Jasper's shirt clung to his lean frame, highlighting his tone muscles. She swallowed heavily.

"I'm sorry it's a little old. He isn't the tidiest of people" she apologised.

"It's fine, thank you for your hospitality." he said with a slight smile.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?"

"Actually, I really should be going" _was there some disappointment in his voice?_

Bella shrunk into herself a little. Of course he wouldn't want to stay. She was a normal girl; he was a famous movie star. Everyone on earth knew his name, whereas her mother would occasionally forget hers.

"Right," she said "well… I'll just walk you to the door."

The two hesitantly moved to the narrow hallway, neither wanting to say goodbye. Bella wondered if this was the last time they were ever going to see each other, because, really: what were that chances of meeting a global megastar not once, not even twice but THREE TIMES?

"So…" Bella said, prolonging his approaching departure.

Edward smiled, sensing her reluctance.

"Here's your things" handing over the hat and glasses "it was nice seeing you again Edward… surreal… but nice."

Edward's smile grew, "it was wonderful seeing you Bella."

A beat more.

He placed the hat and sunglasses on, opened the door, and stepped outside. "Thank you Bella, again, I'll mail the t-shirt…"

"Don't worry about it" she interrupted.

Their gazes stayed locked until Bella finally closed the door, breaking their stare.

"Surreal but nice?" she shook her head,

 _Knock, Knock_

Bella furrowed her eyebrows, opening the door.

Edward stalked back in, "did you forget something?" Bella asked, confused by his appearance.

"Yes" Edward replied decidedly, pulling his disguise off.

"Wha-" and then his lips were on hers and everything disappeared. Edward pushed her against the door, effectively closing it. His lips touched hers once, then twice, before his tongue delicately traced her bottom lip- igniting a bolt of electricity that warmed Bella all the way to her toes.

Bella eagerly opened her mouth as her tongue found his. Their kiss went from raw and passionate to slow and loving, their tongues stroking one another in a dance. Bella's hands weaved their way into his thick bronze hair, pulling him even closer, making him groan in pleasure.

The noise sent vibrations down her throat and suddenly things became desperate again. His hands moved down her back, towards her thighs, picking her up so that her legs were wrapped around his waist.

He kissed down her neck affectionately, before sucking on her pulse point.

"Edward" she whispered hoarsely, stroking his hair.

"You are so beautiful Bell" Edward said kissing back up towards her lips. Their mouths opened automatically again, as they explored each other's mouths…

Then the door handle moved.

Edward leapt away from Bella, running his hands through his hair, like Bella had been doing mere seconds before. She straightened her lilac blouse, her lips were swollen, cheeks pink and hair messed up.

Jasper walked in, dodging past the couple mindlessly, ignorant to the tension that was so thick in the air. Edward froze in preparation of being recognised, edging towards his belongings that he had tossed on the floor.

Jasper however, continued to walk to the living room. "God, Bells you wouldn't believe the day I had! I'm gagging for a smoke. Wait till you hear it. If you had a pair of balls they would shrink to the size of raisins."

Edward looked at Bella shocked, but glee so evident in his face. "I better go."

Bella nodded, dumbstruck by what had just happened. Edward walked out, but not before kissing her forehead softly.

When he left – officially – she leaned against the door, unable to get over the tingling sensation on her lips.

Jasper wandered back in the hallway, oblivious to Bella's disarray of emotions.

"This yoghurt tastes weird."


	4. Meetings

_**Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong to Stephanie Meyer! Also various lines are taken from both the Twilight Saga and Notting Hill.**_

 _ **Another update! I hope you all enjoy the next chapter in Edward and Bella's story. All reviews, follows and favourites are greatly appreciated!**_

 _ **Lots of love**_

 **Meetings**

Half an hour after Edward's departure, Bella found herself standing in front of the mirror analysing her appearance. She was not vain; on the contrary, Bella had always found herself spectacularly average - a six at best.

But if Edward Mason… the man, who famously dated the stunning Tanya Denali and a whole other string of gorgeous models and actresses, called _her_ beautiful, before proceeding to give her the best kiss of her life, well then _surely_ there had to be _something_ there… right?

Bella still couldn't see it. Sure, her skin was pretty good; smooth and unblemished but it was ghostly white like paper.

Maybe it was her hair, she reasoned. She had always loved her hair. It was dark brown, and fell in thick waves down her back. She remembered when she was eight years old; Charlie had made her promise never to cut it. 'It reminds me of your mother,' he said 'when we first met… she was the loveliest creature I had ever laid eyes on.'

It was no secret that Charlie had been desperately in love with Renee until his dying breath. There was always a very miniscule part of Bella that resented her mom for never returning her father's feelings. If she had, maybe he still would have been with them today.

She shook her head furiously, shoving the dark thought deep into her mind. It wasn't her mother's doing. The cancer. It was just fate. God's plan, if you will. She loved Renee with all her heart, and wouldn't trade her for the world.

Bella continued studying her face; the brown eyes that she inherited from her father, her slightly pointed chin and prominent cheekbones. Her lips, the bottom slightly plumper than the top, still rosy from the incredible kiss she had shared with Edward. Bella assessed her reflection vigorously but failed to identify what on earth could be so appealing to him.

Yes, she grudgingly concluded; she was not unfortunate looking. But she was no Tanya, with her bouncy strawberry blonde curls and vibrant green eyes.

Bella huffed, and bent down splashing cold water into her face, deciding to chalk the whole ordeal up to pure chance.

…

 _ **Two days later**_

…

"Jasper!" Bella called, walking through the apartment, ringing her hair out with her hands. It was raining again. Shocker.

"Jazz!" Bella shouted again, frustration growing by the second. It had just gone five o'clock, meaning, Jasper should've finished his shift at Newton's Olympic Outfitters an hour ago.

"JASPER WHITLOCK!" Bella yelled, only to be greeted by loud snores. Jasper lay on the floor of the living room, left leg half on the sofa suggesting he had fallen off during his deep slumber. His blonde shaggy hair was stuck to his face and his mouth was wide-open, drool falling down his chin. _How attractive_ , she thought sarcastically.

"Jazz," she said in a softer tone, shaking his shoulder.

"Huh," he grunted "B-Bella?" he questioned.

"Hey buddy," she said, laughing quietly at the dazed look on his face "What do you fancy for dinner?" she asked, standing up.

"Pizza?" he replied hopefully.

"We had that last night," Bella chided.

"Howwa about a burger" he opted, stretching.

"Two burgers coming right up" Bella affirmed, "How was work?"

"Meh," he followed her to the kitchen, one hand down his pants, he was such a gentleman. "I need to be high next time I deal with Newton. That guy is driving me up the fucking wall."

"I know the feeling," she said sympathetically. She pulled out the ingredients from the fridge, double checking the expiry dates.

"Also, someone called the landline when I got home"

"The landline?" she queried, startled. She forgot they even had one.

"Uh huh. Quite a weird call and all."

"Oh?"

"Yep. Some dude was asking for you."

"Who?" Bella's full attention was now on her roommate, burgers long forgotten.

"Dunno. But he had a really funny accent. He kept on babbling about wanting to see you again"

Bella stared at Jazz who had now situated himself at the kitchen table, long legs spread on the chair next to him in a very relaxed position.

"What else did he say?" She asked urgently.

"Uh… Oh! He hopes you will be able to come to the Four Seasons at Seattle tomorrow around four o'clock He said he's in the Presidential Suite but he isn't going by his normal name."

Bella stared at Jasper gobsmacked. Not only did that piece of information officially confirm it was Edward (because who else did she actually know could afford the Presidential Suite at the Four Seasons?) but; Jasper had also managed to memorise the whole message.

"Wow" she said, speechless "Well, what was the name?"

"Umm"

Bella tapped her foot impatiently.

"Some kind of cartoon character, I think"

"Yeah Jazz but what one?"

"I don't know Bells, I can't remember everything!"

"You remembered the whole fricking message but you can't even think of one goddamn cartoon?!"

Jasper's own grey eyes widened at Bella's tone. His gentle, kind, sweet roommate was turning slowly from a kitten to a tigress, and it was scaring the ever-loving shit out of him.

"H-he left his number Bells" he said, shaking a little at the crazed look on her face "I wrote it down and all!"

"Where is it?" Bella realised she was acting a bit out of character right now, but c'mon. This was Edward they were talking about!

Jasper practically ran into his room frightened of further agitating her. In any other circumstance she would have laughed at the whole situation. Her six foot four roommate was cowering under her mere stare.

He came back, a proud look spread across his handsome features, and a coffee stained note in his hand. "Here" he said, before Bella snatched it from his hand. "Y'know," Jasper continued, as Bella reached for her phone, "this is becoming quite an abusive friendship. You can be pretty damn scary Swan." Who was he kidding? He had nearly shit his pants.

She rolled her eyes and dialled the number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, um, Edward? This is Bella Swan? We, uh, met at the bookshop the other day? Then y-yesterday I may have spilt coffee on you. I'm sorry about that a-again." She babbled off into the phone, her fierce façade falling and shy persona making another reappearance.

"Bella! Of course I remember you" Edward chuckled

"Hey! Well um, I'm sorry to bother you but my roommate Jasper said you called earlier?" She twisted her chocolate strands around her fingers, and bit her lip in a nervous gesture.

"I did, I just wanted to thank you again for yesterday."

"Oh!" She said, disappointment washing over her "Yeah, it wasn't a problem. Glad I could help."

"I, uh, also wanted to ask, if you could possibly come to see me tomorrow? I'm staying at the Four Seasons in Seattle."

Bella's heart skipped a beat, and she froze.

Edward mistook the silence as a negative response "If you can't make it. I mean, Seattle is a while away from Forks, and of course you have work and a whole lot of other-"

"Edward!" Bella interrupted "I'd love to come."

She heard a huge sigh of relief echo through the phone, making her giggle.

"T-that's great!" he enthused "I'm in the Presidential Suite"

"Very swanky" she said teasingly, prompting him to snicker.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that" she could hear him smirk through the phone, "Just ask at the desk for an Aladdin"

"Aladdin?" she asked amused.

"Hey! It was my favourite film as a kid," he said in mock defensiveness

"I meant no offence, I'm partial to a good Robin Williams movie"

"I can't disagree, he was a great man" Edward said wistfully.

"You _met The Robin Williams?"_

"It was only brief. At the Oscars a few years ago, he congratulated me on my nomination."

"Talk about a name drop" she said jokingly.

"You were the one who brought him up" Edward joked back. "Anyway, I better go now Bella."

"Okay"

"I can't wait to see you tomorrow."

She smiled widely at that.

"Me neither" she whispered.

"Bye"

"Bye Edward."

Bella shakily pressed disconnect on her phone, and stared out the window of the kitchen with unseeing eyes. All she could picture was Edward's glittering emerald eyes, his red lips swollen from their kisses, his flushed cheeks.

 _Snore_

The petite brunette broke away from her daydream and turned around slowly, only to find Jasper in his previous position, stretched out on the kitchen chairs, fast asleep.

…

At 15:58, the next day Bella found herself standing outside Edward's door. She decided to wait an extra few minutes before knocking, in the hope of not appearing too eager, but she found herself vibrating with excitement. She looked down herself, checking she had no toothpaste marks or food stains on her dress. It had taken her at least two hours to choose an outfit, because really, what do you wear when visiting a global megastar at a five star hotel?

She had finally opted to wear a grey knit dress that clung to her curves, black tights and black boots, casual but also classy. Alice would most definitely approve. She had also straightened her hair so it nearly hit her waist in length, and applied some lip- gloss on her lips. She was ready.

Unable to cope with the raging need to see him, Bella knocked thrice, only to be welcomed by a beautiful blonde in a business suit.

Bella stood back, gaping at the blonde's beauty. Tall, golden curls falling down her back in a waterfall, and violet eyes. Who the hell has purple eyes for Gods sake?

The goddess raised a questioning eyebrow at Bella "name?"

"Um, Bella Swan?"

She looked down at the clipboard in her hands, "There's no Bella Swan on my list" she said coolly.

"Oh uh, Edward is expecting me" Bella said, intimidated by the blonde's resting bitch face.

"I see. Stay here." She commanded, before turning around and stalking back into the room, slamming the door in Bella's face.

 _Rude._

Bella contemplated turning around. It was evident that Edward was keeping their exchanges a secret, so maybe it was best she just disappeared. She did not want to cause any trouble for him. As she went to leave, the door opened again, revealing the snooty blonde.

"Come in Miss Swan." She said in a professional tone. Bella did detect however, an underlying sense of distaste.

The Presidential Suite was huge. There were substantial glass doors, which led to a massive balcony that overlooked Seattle's waterfront. There was original artwork decorating the walls and the colour scheme of rich brown and cream made the room appear almost tranquil. The living area was large with the sofas placed around a 62'inch plasma screen television and built in fireplace. It was then Bella saw two suited men chatting on the sofa.

Edward's employee turned sharply towards her, "There are several journalists here, waiting to interview Edward on his new movie," She said lowly, "until then you may stay here and please do _not_ reveal your purpose for being here under any circumstances."

Bella nodded furiously.

"Sit." She said, pointing over to the sofa where the men sat.

Bella resisted the urge to salute and edged towards her appointed seat. The two men that were engaged in conversation, stopped, curiously watching the beautiful woman sit before them.

The first man coughed, before leaning over to the girl. "Hello, I do not believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you" he held out a hand, a kind smile on his face. "The name is Marcus, I'm representing New Moon Magazine" New Moon was the highest selling tabloid magazine in America at the moment, often starring Edward on the front cover. Bella placed her hand in his, hoping it wasn't clammy. "This is Caius," he continued, gesturing to the blonde man on his right "he's with Vogue".

Caius took this as his cue to talk. "So, who are you?" he asked rather superiorly. "I'm Isabella Swan, I'm representing…" _think Bella think_ "Tiger Beat Magazine". _Seriously!_ Her inner voice screamed; _do they even make that magazine anymore?_

"Tiger Beat?" Caius said, unmistakable disgust apparent.

"Wonderful" Marcus continued. "How long have you been working with Tiger Beat?"

"Uh- three years."

"Splendid" Marcus gave her an encouraging smile, ignoring his friend who just watched the exchange, revulsion radiating from him.

"What did you think of the movie?"

Bella froze, although she greatly admired Edward's movies, she wasn't a religious fan like others.

"It was great!" she said, in what she hoped was an enthusiastic tone.

"Really?" Caius interjected "I thought it was Mason was quite dry."

Bella immediately felt extremely protective over Edward. Sure, she didn't even know what the name of the movie was, but there was no doubt in her mind that Edward would have put his heart and soul into it.

When she watched his Oscar nominated performance in "Recollections" she noticed how his passion for acting practically shone in his eyes. She remembered sobbing in the cinema when his character died at the end, the sheer pain that controlled his features as life slipped through his fingers.

"Well I thought it was excellent," Bella stated "Ed- Mr Mason's zeal for acting in every single role is always clear. He puts everything into the character. Sure the plot itself may be _dry,_ " she spat out the word "but it was his performance which brought it to life."

"Ahem"

Bella snapped her head around to find the blonde standing in the doorway, staring daggers at Caius. Behind her she could see Edward, who had an unreadable expression on his face.

"Mr Volturi" The blonde spoke coldly "You're up."

Caius slightly stunned by Bella's tirade walked towards the door.

It did not escape Bella that the goddess has sent a small smile in her direction before commencing Edward's next interview.

"Wow," Marcus said, equally astounded as Caius "I never thought I'd see Caius Volturi lost for words."

He gave her a gleaming smile. "Miss Swan, you are rapidly becoming one of the most interesting women I have ever had the honour meeting."

…

"Bella?"

Bella had waited an hour for Edward to finish up his interviews. It wasn't that bad. She chatted for half an hour with Marcus, and was quite astounded (and a little amused) when he gave her his card, if she ever wanted to take the next step up in her career.

She turned to find Edward leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed. He wore a white shirt, top two buttons left undone, with black trousers. She swore that her mouth was watering.

Bella stood up, "Edward! Hey!"

"I'm so sorry that you had to wait" Edward apologised, walking towards her "I honestly thought I'd be done by four." When he finally reached her, he took both of her hands into his, gazing at her, green meeting brown.

"It's fine, it was great to meet Marcus"

Edward grimaced "the same can't be said for Caius" he said, bitterly.

Bella took her hands from his to cradle his face. Edward raised his on, holding them to him, looking at her as though she was something precious. It sent warm sensations down her spine.

"Yeah, I kind of lashed out on him earlier" her cheeks going slightly pink.

"I heard," his eyes turned softer "Bella what you said… thank you so much."

"It was the truth Edward" she said strongly "I may not have seen every single movie you've been in but I do recognise passion. You love what you do."

"I do" he watched her carefully, hands still holding hers against his cheeks "but no one has really truly grasped that. Sure they think I'm a good actor, but they think the passion is just apart of the character. Not just me."

Bella smiled at him.

He bent down, nudging his nose against hers. "Can I kiss you Bella" he breathed "I've been dreaming about it since I left your apartment."

How could she deny such a request?

She pushed her lips against his. They caressed each other, learning the other's lips. It was different to the scorching kiss in her hallway, but just as perfect. He held her like she was glass: fragile and beautiful. They kissed slowly but adoringly. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, commencing their sweet exploration.

Bella never wanted to leave. She could stay like this forever.

"Go out with me tonight?" he asked against her lips.

Bella groaned, but not out of pleasure. "I can't, my friend's are doing dinner tonight." She pulled away. Then a light bulb dinged in her head. "Buuut…" hope flashed in Edward's eyes "you could come with me."

He stayed quiet.

"I mean it's really chilled and they are really not the excitable types. Not that they wouldn't be excited to meet you, because well you're you. And my best friend Alice can be, a bit hyper she'd be totally respectful…"

"I'd love to come."

Bella stopped.

"Really?"

He smiled, "I want to meet your friends," he pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, "and I really want to spend more time with you."

Bella lit up, unable to believe this incredible man would be coming to meet her best friends in the whole world."

"Seven?" she asked, desperately seeking final confirmation.

"Seven." He repeated, before meeting her lips again.

…

 **Sorry there wasn't much Edward in this chapter, but I can promise exciting times lie ahead. Next chapter, we will be meeting Esme, Carlisle and Emmett! We will also be seeing more of Alice.**

 **A lot more fluff to look forward to also, so please be patient ;)**


	5. Impressions

_**Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong to Stephanie Meyer! Also various lines are taken from both the Twilight Saga and Notting Hill.**_

 _ **Hey guys! Just want to clarify something before we start the next chapter. This is NOT a cheating fic. I myself cannot stand a cheating Edward, and have too much respect for Bella as a character. The whole Tanya situation will be referred to in this chapter. My fanfiction won't be all sunshine and rainbows, Bella and Edward will be facing A LOT of challenges, because what realistic couple doesn't? However, at this point of time they are just falling in love with each other and building a relationship. Hope this clears a few things up!**_

 _ **Also, thank you for all the reviews. I read your criticisms, and applied them to my previous chapters! Keep them coming!**_

 _ **On with the story!**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

…

 **Impressions**

Edward and Bella walked towards the Cullen's home, Bella holding a fudge cake that she had picked up from a Walmart along the way.

"Nice house," Edward said conversationally.

It was a beautiful house. It was ten minutes away from the heart of Forks, hidden amongst the green forest. It was timeless and graceful; painted a soft, faded white; three stories tall and well proportioned. The Cullen home was a perfect place to raise a family, and although a gorgeous house, was a sad reminder of the loss Carlisle and Esme faced. They refused to sell it however, in the hope that their dream of having a big family would be fulfilled. Bella didn't say any of this to Edward though. After all, it wasn't her story to tell.

"It's beautiful," she replied instead "are you nervous?"

"Of course I'm nervous. They're your friends. I want them to like me." There was an anxious edge to his tone.

"I was thinking more of them attacking you," she said teasingly

He looked down at her seriously, coming to a stop in front of the door "I trust you Bella."

They stood for a moment, just looking at one another. Bella still couldn't believe this was happening. There was so much she wanted to ask him. Not so much questions about his career, although she was extremely fascinated by it, but more about _him._ What was his favourite book? What was his favourite childhood memory? Who was his role model? But all of that had to wait.

"Let's go," she said, placing her free hand into his. He opened the door, and they stepped in, greeted by the boisterous laughter of Carlisle.

Bella led him by the hand into the kitchen, which was bathed in golden light. Sat at the dining table, Esme lovingly watching Carlisle potter around the kitchen. Carlisle looked comical in a pink floral apron and matching oven-mitts, his platinum hair a little tussled.

"Need any help?" Bella asked amused, from the doorway.

The couple turned sharply at the sound of their friend's voice.

"Bella!" Esme rejoiced "have you come to save me from my husband's dreadful cooking?" she mockingly pled.

"Hardy ha ha" Carlisle tossed back, rolling his sapphire eyes.

"Always Es" Bella said, walking over to hug the woman. She looked absolutely beautiful, with her caramel curls around her shoulders. The green velvet top she wore, highlighted the shade of her eyes, and her cheeks were flushed with colour.

This made Bella sigh with happiness. When Esme had lost the baby, she had gone into a zombie like state; she lost a lot of weight and became almost skeletal. It reached such a level, that people were terrified of losing her. Thankfully those days were in the past, and with weekly visits from the psychiatrist, Esme was now healthy both mentally and physically. However, her eyes remained haunted by the accident.

"How have you been?" Bella asked, her arms still around her.

"I'm good" Esme replied meaningfully. Then a flash of movement caught the corner of her eye causing Esme to look behind her friend curiously. It only took her a moment to recognise Bella's companion; the bronze hair, the emerald eyes, the jawbone.

"Carlisle…" Esme whispered, loud enough for all to hear.

Her husband remained ignorant to the tension in the room as he fussed over his concoction, "Yes Es?"

"I think Edward Mason is in our kitchen" she hadn't moved her eyes from the tall figure who, continued to stand by the door.

Carlisle's head snapped up, mild panic registering in his features, "Esme are the hallucinations starting again?"

"Carlisle Cullen. I am most certainly not having hallucinations you oblivious bastard! Take your eyes away from the damn cooking and _look!"_

The doctor immediately looked to where his wife was pointing.

"Bella…" he asked slowly.

Bella watched the scene unfold before her, holding in laughter.

"Yes Carlisle?"

"You've got to call the doctor."

"Carlisle, you are a doctor" Bella stated confused.

"Yes but it would seem that both my wife and I have hit rock bottom. I'm hallucinating."

"Bu…"

The slamming of the door cut her off, "I can't smell smoke yet Carlisle! Good siiiii…" Alice stopped when she noticed someone was blocking her entrance.

"Excuse m- HOLY FUCK!"

"OKAY!" Bella shouted before anyone did anything "everyone, this is my friend Edward Mason. We met in the bookstore a week ago. Edward, these goofballs are my friends, Carlisle and Esme Cullen, and Alice Brandon."

Edward coughed, smiling awkwardly, "Hello, it's nice to meet you all."

Alice, being the confident pixie she was, was the first to snap from her stupor. "Edward! I am a huge fan! The part in Dusk where you told Tanya you were a vampire… chills!"

Edward grinned, "Why thank you Miss Alice."

Esme shook her head "Edward, I am so sorry, we are being such horrible hosts! Please, come in!"

The woman ushered the movie star in hurriedly, "Don't think you're getting away with not telling me Bella Swan" Alice muttered as she followed them inside. Bella looked down at her feet, feeling guilty that she hadn't told her best friend. "Ali, I couldn't get over it myself. Would you have honestly believed me if I had said anything?"

Alice sniffed. Of course she would have thought that Bella was off her rocker, but she wasn't about to tell her that! "You, me, shopping, tomorrow. No arguments." Bella kept silent, accepting that this was her only option if she wanted Alice to forgive her.

Meanwhile, Carlisle had finally crashed back into reality. "Bella! Why didn't you tell me you were bringing _Edward fricking Mason_ to dinner! I would have ordered a takeaway! I'm going to murder him!" The young doctor looked absolutely stunned.

"I'm sorry Carlisle but it was kind of last minute. I'm sure what you've prepared will be great."

Alice snickered.

"HELLO PEOPLE!"

"Emmett decided he could come then?" Bella asked

Emmett McCarty barrelled into the room. He looked the same as when Bella had first met him six years ago, at the local garage where he worked. Standing at an impressive 6'6, Emmett was very broad and muscular. He had dark curly hair, big blue eyes and dimples, making him appear almost childlike. However whilst very exuberant around his friends Emmett was very dorky and awkward around women. He hadn't had a girlfriend since he had hit puberty, which came as a shock to everyone who had met him. Bella loved the bumbling idiot, and saw him as another brother.

"I have brought seven takeaway menus Carlisle"

"Wow thanks Em" Carlisle said icily.

"Belly Boo and Pixie!" Emmett picked the two girls up in his arms, "how are my favourite girls?"

"Fine Em, but you are kind of crushing us" Alice wheezed, her arms tight to her sides.

"Oops" Emmett grinned.

Esme smiled affectionately at the trio. Although they were old enough to be her siblings, she couldn't help but feel motherly towards them. She looked back at Edward, who was staring at Bella, adoration dancing in his eyes.

"Emmett Dale McCarty, where is my hug" Esme called out.

The mechanic turned, to see Esme sitting next to a new face.

"Sorry Mama C" he smiled, taking the woman gently into his arms.

"You never visit me anymore," she scolded.

"I know," he sighed "Jake has been running me into the ground.

He sat next to Edward, "Hey dude, I'm Emmett McCarty"

Edward found himself caught off guard by this laid back reaction to meeting him, but relaxed in his chair at Emmett's genuine smile.

"Edward Mason"

The two shook hands, whilst everyone watched Emmett confused.

"So Ed, what do you do?"

Carlisle coughed on his saliva, as Bella, Esme and Alice giggled.

But Edward maintained a very neutral expression, "I'm an actor"

"Really? That's awesome! Must be a hard gig though." Emmett remained completely unaware to his friend's shock and amusement.

"Yeah, it can be tough at times."

"Do you do a few other jobs on the side like our Alice?"

"Nah, I find business going okay"

"Really? How much on average do you earn, if you don't mind me asking" Some may have found the question rude, but the innocent curiosity which Emmett emitted made the situation even funnier.

"Um… last time I checked, around 48 million dollars."

Emmett's eyes bugged out and his mouth opened and closed like a fish. After a few minutes of gobsmacked silence, Edward awkwardly asked for the toilet.

"I'll show you," Esme meaningfully looked at Emmett before leading Edward upstairs.

Alice smacked Emmett across the back of the head.

"You absolute _idiot_ Emmett McCarty"

"Shit Ali! That hurt!" Emmett whined.

" _What do you do?"_ she mimicked in a false falsetto "Are you fucking dense?"

"It's a valid question"

"It' s Edward Mason Em!"

"Yes he mentioned that"

"Do I really have to Wikipedia him?"

"I don't see why you're making such a big de…"

Alice held up her phone, showing Emmett the iconic Dusk movie poster. Edward looked a little paler than he did in real life, and his eyes were gold instead of green. In his arms Tanya Denali stood, in a black flowing dress.

"He's the vampire!" Emmett squealed like a girl

Then it hit him "I am a fucking tool."

"I echo that sentiment" Carlisle stated, his head in the oven.

Esme then walked back in the room, her cheeks a bright pink.

"I walked into the bathroom with him!" she said, mortified, "he had to ask me to leave."

Bella slapped her face. He had to think they were a bunch of nutcases now.

"Okay, game plan" Alice clapped her hands together "When he comes back we are just going to act normal."

Emmett snorted, "We are never normal."

Alice glared at him "yeah well, normal for us."

When Edward re-entered, the group treated him as though he was just a normal dinner guest. They all settled around the table and picked at Carlisle's attempt of mushroom ravioli, and the conversation flowed.

Edward found himself laughing at Emmett's stories of the different customers he encountered at the garage, chuckling at Alice's outrage at her boss at the coffee shop and listening intently to Bella's input.

It was the most fun he had in years, and he found it surprising at how well he was fitting in amongst the quirky bunch.

Towards the end of the night, they all dug into the fudge cake that Bella had brought.

"There is one piece left" Carlisle announced, "I'm going to award the last piece to the saddest act here."

"Well that's easy, Emmett" Alice said, causing the whole table to shake with laughter.

"Well it's obviously me isn't it?" Emmett stated in good humour. "27, never had a girlfriend, working for some dog who is five years younger than me at a garage," everyone snickered "aaand… I prefer food to actual people." People could hardly contain their howls at this point.

"Well what about me?" Esme asked "I'm the town loony after going into my zombie stage. I'm craving cigarettes all the time, despite never smoking in my life. And to add further add insult to injury, Carl and I have been trying for another baby for a year now, to no avail."

The whole table watched Esme, sadness thick in the air. Carlisle looked heartbroken at his wife, saddened that he would never be able to take the pain away from her.

"But we are lucky in lots of other ways. However, surely that deserves the final slice?" Esme said in an attempted light-hearted tone, hoping to alleviate the sudden strained atmosphere.

"Well I don't know about that!" Alice perked up, sensing Esme's uneasiness "I'd say I am a much worthier candidate."

"I've worked three jobs now for two years, still no where near opening my own boutique. Plus, I am never going to get married because A) my height makes me look like a prepubescent boy and B) My tits are shrinking."

Much to Esme's relief, the table began to laugh again.

"What about me?" Bella jested, "I am in a dead end job which leaves no room for promotion. By neighbour Mrs Cope thinks I am a druggie because she doesn't want to believe that Jasper smokes pot."

"And!" Alice added, "She has been subjected to the persistence of Michael Newton for eight years now." Everyone's noses wrinkled at the mention of Mike, and Edward could feel himself tense at the sound of another man's name.

"Well this is a tough call," Carlisle said thoughtfully, "but my champion is…"

"Hey! What about me?" Edward inserted.

Bella and her friends looked at him shocked.

"You? You think you deserve the last piece of fudge cake?"

"Well, a shot at it at least"

The table quieted down waiting for Edward to speak.

"Well I have been forced to diet ever since I turned nineteen which basically means I have been starving for six years now," everyone chuckled, "every time I go out, I can't leave without some sort of disguise. My private life gets flashed on the tabloids and gossip sites for people's pure entertainment and enjoyment. I have never had many real friends, because I never know whether they use me for either my fame or my money" Edward was paying no attention to the wide-eyed people around him, lost in thought "and when I'm older and my looks have faded, no one is going to care for me and my name will be forgotten…"

Bella placed her hand on his under the table comfortingly, tracing circles soothingly on his palm. He looked up at her, giving her a warm smile.

"Well," Carlisle commented, breaking the spell "nice try Edward, but this definitely goes to Emmett."

…

Around one o'clock Bella and Edward left the Cullen home, but not before he gave all four of his new friend his number and the promise that he'd visit again.

"Can we just talk?" Edward asked as they jumped into Bella's Chevy.

"Sure, where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere"

Bella thought for a moment, before putting the key into the ignition, "I have the perfect place."

She drove them up a dirt road through the green forest.

"You aren't going to kill me are you?" Edward said teasingly, watching he dark green trees fly behind them.

Bella rolled her eyes "and risk facing the inevitable torture of your fandom? No thank you."

They stopped at the end of the road, before Bella removed her seatbelt, grabbing a few old blankets that she had fortunately left in the truck a few weeks ago. The duo then jumped out of the car, and walked through the trees into a beautiful meadow that was covered with beautiful purple and yellow wildflowers.

"Bella," Edward breathed

"I found this place a few years ago," Bella said, laying one of the blankets down.

"How did you find it?" they lay on the top of it, covering themselves with another two. They had a perfect view of the velvet night sky, which was filled with hundreds of stars.

Bella swallowed thickly "My dad had died of breast cancer nearly five years ago. It really rare for men to get it, less than 1% suffer from it" a lone tear ran down her face. "When he passed, I went out on a walk. I can't remember how long I walked. It felt like hours. I finally came across this place, and I just cried. It's just so peaceful here y'know? Sometimes I find myself just looking at the sky and talking to him."

Edward watched Bella, his own breath stuck in his throat, at the thought of how much pain this girl had endured.

He turned on his side, facing her, then placed his right hand to he cheek, stroking away the tears.

"You are so strong," he whispered, despite the absolute quiet.

"I don't feel like it" she whispered back "sometimes I find myself wishing that I hadn't just spent my summers here in Forks up until I was seventeen. I wish I came here earlier, to spend more time with him. I wish I told him I loved him everyday."

"He knew you loved him Bella. I may not have met him, but I do know you. I can see the compassion shining from your eyes, and he would have seen it too. He is watching you always Bella, he'll always be with you."

He cradled her body to his, and they just watched each other underneath the stars.

"Want to play twenty questions?" Edward asked, wanting to see the sparkle in her eyes.

"Sure."

She learnt that he was an only child and had lived in London until he was nineteen years old. His father Edward had died before he was born, so his mother Elizabeth brought him up alone. She continued to live in London as a book editor, but they had regular Facetime sessions and phone calls. His best friend was Rosalie Hale, the blonde who Bella had met earlier that day. She was like the older sister that he had never had, and they were extremely protective over each other, hence why she was so cold to Bella. He had wanted to be an actor for as long as he could remember, and his role models were Sean Connery and Harrison Ford.

He learnt that she too was an only child, but her parents had split up when she was very young. She had lived with her mother in Arizona and her stepfather Phil Dwyer, a minor league baseball player, until she turned seventeen. She then moved to Forks to be with her father Charlie. Charlie was diagnosed with cancer in her senior year. The cancer had spread quickly, so he was forced to give up his position as Chief of Police and Bella had to take up several jobs. When he passed away, Bella went to the University of Washington to do English Literature. Her favourite book was The Great Gatsby but she enjoyed many other works by Austin.

The two found themselves bonding over their love for classical music. He swore that he would teach her to play the piano, and in return she would give him cooking lessons.

"What is your relationship with Tanya Denali?" The next question flew from her lips easily. Bella realised that this was a question she should have asked before they kissed. She had no desire in being the other woman. But there was a small part of her that didn't want to know the details. A part that just wanted to float in obliviousness. But if they were going to continue whatever they had, then she needed to know.

"Tanya and I were never together"

"What?" Bella's heart soared at the news, but her head was a different story. If they were never together then what was with all the stories about?

"Tanya and I are just good friends. When we were working on Dusk together, we went out for coffee one time to get to know one another. You can't just act out an epic love story if you don't know the person you are supposedly in love with… right?" he looked into Bella's eyes, desperately looking for understanding. She nodded for him to continue.

"Some of the press saw us and put two and two together before coming up with five. They spun this huge tale of us having a secret relationship on set. Neither of us confirmed or denied it, seeing as it was great publicity for the movie."

Bella took a moment to digest what Edward had just said. "What about all the pictures?" she remembered when the first Dusk movie had come out and there had been a few images of them kissing and laughing.

"Someone must have taken them while we were on set. Tanya and I will never be more than friends."

"Have either one of you ever expressed interest?" Bella was waiting for the other shoe to drop. While the story made sense, it just seemed like things were too perfect.

"I'm going to tell you a secret"

Bella quirked an eyebrow, intrigued, "A secret?"

"Yes."

She leaned forward and Edward placed his lips against her ear, "You, Isabella Marie Swan, are more our type."

Bella pulled back startled, "You mean…"

"Yep. I'm far more into brunettes" he smirked.

"Not that you idiot!" her cheeks resembling that of a tomato.

He laughed, "Yes, Tanya is a lesbian."

"B-b-but… she's had so many boyfriends!"

"They were more 'showmances'" Edward said thoughtfully, "They pretended to be with her because she is Tanya Denali, pretty, talented, wealthy. And she needed an act."

"Lots of actresses have come out"

"Yeah, well. Tanya's publicist Jane" He spat the last name out: like it was a dirty word "seems to think that it would tarnish her image."

"That's unfair. She has to constantly hide who she is" Bella said, outraged. This was the twenty first century for God's sake. People's sexuality was hardly an issue nowadays.

"That's Jane for you."

They continued to talk about everything and anything, before Edward's phone vibrated. He reluctantly pulled it out of his pockets, it's eyes widening at the time. "It's quarter to six," he said disbelievingly, the time had flown "Rosalie needs me back at the hotel."

Neither one wanted to end their time together. He pulled her in for a long kiss, as they got up. He nuzzled her nose against his, both of which were numb from the cold. "I had an amazing time," he breathed into her mouth.

"Me too," Bella sighed, their kiss deepening.

At this point they knew how the other's lips moved, it was like a well-rehearsed dance. And it still brought a magical bliss to them.

"C'mon, before Blondie decides she hates me even more." Bella joked.

They laughed together, and walked back to the truck, his arm around her shoulder, her arms around his waist, blankets in their free hands. Wide smiles gracing their faces.


	6. Confessions

_**Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong to Stephanie Meyer! Also various lines are taken from both the Twilight Saga and Notting Hill.**_

 _ **I can only apologise about how late this chapter is. A lot of personal stuff has happened over the last two months, so I have had a really difficult time updating. I am so sorry about this.**_

 _ **This chapter is extremely fluffy… perfect for Valentines Day, don't you think? I listened to Beyonce's Halo, and Ellie Goulding's Love me like you do, as inspiration. A small warning, there is a lemony moment in this chapter… it's small, but it's there.**_

 _ **I hope you enjoy, and please review! Xo**_

 **Confessions**

 _ **Favourite character of all time -E**_

Bella smiled at the random question. Over the last three weeks, her and Edward had seen each other whenever his schedule permitted. For some unknown reason, he couldn't seem to get enough of her; always appearing fascinated in what she had to say, and constantly asking questions in the hope that he could delve even further into her mind. This was strange territory for Bella, as her mother had always dubbed her 'an open book'.

As she went to type back an answer, her phone vibrated again.

 _ **And please, for the love of God, say it isn't Romeo –E**_

Bella could not decide whether to scowl or laugh.

 _ **Don't hate on Romeo. He is my literary soul mate after all… -B**_

 _ **He is a pathetic, hormonal male who falls in love with anyone who has a pulse –E**_

 _ **Carry on Mason and you'll be put on silent! –B**_

 _ **You wouldn't dare –E**_

She smirked to herself before placing her phone on the nightstand. Maybe she could get some sleep now! It was 12:45, and she had work the next morning. Her phone vibrated again, and although Bella's hands itched to reach out for it, instead she folded her arms behind her head. Let him think he was in the doghouse. He was always teasing her – albeit playfully – it was time she got her own back!

Bella and Edward had gotten increasingly closer since that night at Esme and Carlisle's. Within the space of three weeks, they had camped out at her apartment, watching old movies in blanket made forts; played twister in the living room of his hotel suite; and escaped to the meadow at least thrice.

They had been extremely careful not to be caught, with them often wearing all sorts of weird and wonderful disguises when going to each other's places… It had been utterly perfect.

Bella saw Edward as one of her best friends. His chilled, laid back yet caring and kind attitude always made her feel comfortable in his presence. She had shared a lot of shit with him. Her struggles of playing 'adult' at such a young age; the back and fore visits from Phoenix to Forks; her mother's remarriage; her father's final months... She didn't know how she could talk about these things with such ease to Edward, when the words often got stuck in her throat whenever she was with Alice and Esme.

It wasn't all one sided though. Edward told her about his worries about his mom when he was a kid. How she would cry his father's name out when she slept. He reminisced about his days in drama school, and a time where he struggled to pay for basic necessities like toothpaste and shampoo because he couldn't find work.

Living in the spotlight had also had its mark. As he got more and more famous, stories would get spun, some without any evidence or truth at all. He was linked to every woman he had contact with, whether it be a coffee barista in Starbucks, or Tanya Denali. It was all out of his control.

Outside of their deep conversations, Edward could also make Bella laugh. His dry, English sense of humour and lack of political correctness often had her rolling on the floor in stitches.

They hadn't gone any further than the heavy make out sessions and the occasional grope under the clothes. But Bella couldn't find it within herself to care. His kisses were like sunshine on a rainy day, and his soft caresses made her feel like a precious gem. More than that, while she was incredibly attracted to him, and continued to think he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen, she found his mind and soul even better. She knew she was falling hard for him, and she loved every second of it.

Suddenly a shrill ring filled the air, making her jump from her inner musings. She grabbed her phone, hoping it hadn't awoken Jasper.

"Hello?"

"You aren't really angry with me… are you?" Edward asked in an anxious tone. He sounded like a little boy who had his favourite toy taken away from him.

Bella grinned, "Why, I didn't know you Brits were so sensitive!"

"Hardy ha ha Swan. You got me!" She could practically hear him rolling his eyes.

She giggled.

"What are you up to?" he asked.

She lay down, getting into a comfier position. She closed her eyes picturing him lying in his king sized bed, still in jeans and t-shirt, on top of the covers. "At nearly one o'clock on a Monday night? Baking pot brownies, and raving with Jasper."

"Save some for me" Edward joked "who knew you'd be so witty at this time of night?"

"Sorry Mr. Sarcasm. Some of us are tired."

"Do you want me to hang up?" Bella's heart gave a little stutter, was that disappointment she heard?

"No!" she said abruptly, flushing scarlet "are you okay?"

"I miss you" now her heart was in major overload.

"I saw you two days ago" she replied breathlessly.

"Is that you trying to let me down easy Bell?" he said playfully.

She laughed, "I miss you too."

He let out a contented sigh "can I see you tomorrow?"

"I'm working," she stated grudgingly.

"Come here after."

"I'm working till six. By the time I get to Seattle it'll be eight, and by the time I get back it'll probably be well after one."

"Easy," he breathed, "stay with me."

Okay, now her heart had stopped. They had never had a sleepover before.

"Bella?" his voice interrupted the heavy silence, "if you don't want to… it's fine. I mean… it's not… I mean… God. I really do miss you… and like you said it's only been two days… I get if you don't feel the same – for fuck's sake, I'm going way to fast. We don't have to have sex! I just want to lie next to you and cuddle... Not that I wouldn't love to have sex with you, bu- God I'm losing major man points…"

"Edward!" Bella said, finally catching her breath. "I'd love to."

"Wait. Really?"

She smiled softly, "really."

It went silent for a moment, but when he started speaking again, the elation in his voice was unmistakable "Great! It's a date."

…

The next day, Bella's palms were sweating in anticipation.

She had packed her bag around three o'clock last night, five minutes after Edward had grudgingly hung up on her. She was so keyed up that she spent half an hour deciding what to wear. She had never felt more like Alice Brandon.

She wore her normal attire to work- jeans and a shirt. But she specifically chose a bottle green pretty blouse that matched Edward's eyes, and smart black jeans, knowing she wouldn't have time to change before she went to Edward's.

She had also put on the nicest bra she owned. She knew he said that they wouldn't be having sex but it was good to be prepared… right? Alice had made her buy the bra in the Victoria Secret sale. Her words were- "Bella, when Victoria has a sale, you do not question. You buy." Admittedly now, she was happy with the purchase. The plum colour looked nice against her pale skin, and it made her C cups appear a size or two bigger.

"Hello, friend of mi- oh my god you're going to have sex!"

Bella's head snapped up at the sound of Alice's voice. She turned a bright pink as she looked over at the middle aged lady and presumably her son who were browsing the children's section. Her hazel eyes locked onto Bella's as she tutted, before pulling the small boy out of the shop.

"Well thanks Al, you just lost me my only customer!" Bella glared.

Alice remained unaffected however, as she continued to gape at her friend.

"I'm not going to have sex anyway…" Bella muttered, looking down at her hands.

"I call bullshit," Alice said, walking over to the front desk, "you are wearing the green blouse which I made you buy after I told you that you looked bangable in it. You've curled your hair, which suggests that you've put waaay more effort in you appearance than you normally do, plus…" she gazed critically at Bella's chest "you're boobs look a tad bigger, meaning…" her eyes widened in excitement "you're wearing the VS bra!"

By this point, Bella was nearly purple in embarrassment.

"You and Eddie are sealing the deal?" the pixie wiggled her eyebrows.

"No!" Bella exclaimed to Alice's disbelieving face "I mean, he said we wouldn't but…"

"Just in case" Alice nodded, "fair. But this means you and I will definitely have to go lingerie shopping in the future."

Bella groaned, but didn't bother with protesting. It was fruitless.

Alice jumped up on to the desk, and crossed her legs. She placed a takeaway mug in front of Bella, "I knew there was a reason we were friends." Bella teased, taking a grateful swig of the hot coffee.

"Yes, yes I'm awesome. Now give me the details!" Alice squealed.

Once Bella had explained the whole phone call, Alice let out a sigh "this is like a movie" she said dreamily "ordinary girl meets famous movie star, who sweeps her off her feet. I'm so happy for you B! Let me know if you meet any other hot famous men" she winked.

Bella laughed, "I thought you said you had no time for men."

"Well that was before your Hollywood romance! Now I'm exceedingly jealous, not to mention horny!" she huffed.

"TMI Ali!"

Alice giggled, "okay! change in subject! Other than your escapades with the gorgeous" she lowered her tone dramatically "Edward Mason, what else is going on?"

Bella shrugged, "Nothing much. Jasper nearly got fired again."

"I still can't believe I've never met your roommate" Alice commented.

"Yeah well, you're always working, and whenever you come to the apartment he's always passed out in his room."

The pixie nodded understandingly, "is he hot?" she said cheekily, to which Bella rolled her eyes.

"What did he do?" Alice asked.

"He was late to work… for the third time this month."

"Mikey let him off again?" Alice smirked.

"After Jasper said to him 'Bella says hi' I swear that guy is getting on my last nerves!"

"Get Eddie to roughen him up! He certainly got the muscles for it! Did you see his rippling six-pack in Recollections?" Alice's eyes glazed over.

Bella slapped her arm "Hey! Stop getting gooey eyes, and fantasising over my…"

"Your what?" Alice prompted.

Bella ignored her, choosing to rearrange one of the bookshelves.

"You haven't had the 'labels' talk?"

"Nope. I mean… it feels like we're more than friends and make out buddies… well to me it does." Bella looked down, suddenly feeling really stupid.

"Bells," her best friend turned her body towards hers, before grasping her face between her small hands. "You are my sister. You are strong, beautiful, funny and kind. Any guy would be extremely lucky to have you… including Edward Mason." The sincerity which shone from her eyes, made Bella smile. "Plus," she added, "If what he said last night is any indication, then I'd say the interest is definitely mutual!"

Bella nodded, "I'm scared Ali… is it normal for me to like him as much as I do, so early on?"

"Everyone is different B, you do what feels right."

The girls hugged tightly, "Thanks Tink"

"I love you Bella."

They separated, smiling at each other. "Now enough of this mushy talk! I have fifteen minutes of my break to spare, and I think we should start looking at lingerie online!"

Bella smiled without complaint.

…

"You're here!"

As soon as Bella knocked on the door, she was yanked in and brought into a strong embrace. She raised her head to look into the sparkling emerald eyes of Edward Mason. Fuck. Had she forgotten how beautiful he was?

He placed her gently down before appraising her with his eyes. "You look gorgeous" he said, smiling crookedly.

She blushed. He was wearing tired but comfy looking blue jeans and a vintage Beatles t-shirt… as if she couldn't fall even harder?

"So do you." She replied, making Edward's smile widen.

"Come on." He entwined their fingers together, and led her into the living room. There was one huge beanbag on the floor that was easily the same size as her couch back home. The coffee table was fully of snacks from Hershey's kisses, to strawberries dipped in chocolate. There were candles dotted around the place, and on the big screen, she could see that it was the menu for the 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet.

Bella couldn't believe that he went so much effort. "Edward…" she breathed.

"Is it too much?" he asked worriedly.

"No one has ever done this much for me… ever. I love it."

Edward grinned, before plopping them both down on the beanbag, "good."

"I can't believe you got Romeo and Juliet!" she squealed.

"Yeah well, it's your favourite movie. Plus I need to check out my competition" he joked, in reference to her comment last night.

"Well," she started, snuggling into the cradle of his arms "you are definitely winning so far."

"Good to know."

…

"Then I defy you, stars!" Leo cried, crumpling onto the floor.

Bella sniffed; she had always hated this part. It was pure chance that he was to never receive the letter.

Edward chuckled.

Bella glared at him, "what?"

"You are so adorable."

She immediately dropped her frown, and smiled at him.

He raised his hand toward her face, and stroked the apple of her cheek lovingly. Her eyes fluttered shut at the sweet gesture. He leaned forward and placed featherlike kisses on her eyelids… her chin… her forehead… her cheeks.

"You're distracting me." Bella said half-heartedly. He smiled against her skin, but continued his perusal, "I've been stopping myself from doing this from the moment I pressed play."

Edward stopped, but before Bella could protest, he placed his hands on her waist and picked her up easily, so that she was straddling his lap.

She could feel his erection against her, making her gasp. He then pressed his lips to hers.

He filled her senses. He tasted like chocolate and pure Edward. His velvety tongue was gentle yet hard against hers. He smelt like sunshine. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as he moved his lips down her neck.

"Bella?"

"Yeah?" she gasped.

"I know I said we weren't going to sleep together tonight…" kiss "I want to take things slow with you…" lick "but please… can I see you?" he tugged on the bottom of her shirt.

"Yessss"

He didn't hesitate before pulling off the green blouse and tossing it to the corner of the room. She still had her eyes closed, but when she noticed that he hadn't put his lips back on her skin, they snapped open.

Edward was gazing at her in awe. The candles bathed his face in a golden glow, and cast shadows against his face. His eyes were full of adoration as he stared at her, as though he hadn't seen anything so beautiful. His intense gaze made blush for what had to be the hundredth time that day.

"Bella" he said reverently, "you are absolutely stunning."

She shakily raised her hands to his face, stroking his features, her eyes locked to his. "Nowhere near as beautiful as you…"

He smiled, rising to kiss her softly. He ran his hands up and down her spine. She put her hands at the bottom of his back, yanking his t-shirt up. He laughed against her lips, which sent vibrations down her throat. They laughed together as they both worked his top off.

Bella pulled away this time, looking at his muscular chest, and defined six pack… yes, personal training certainly worked for him.

"Wow."

She leant down, pecking down his neck. The atmosphere was electric, as they sat, skin to skin, exploring each other's bodies.

She circled her tongue around his nipple, tugging it gently with her teeth. Edward gave a guttural groan. He reluctantly pushed her away.

"Did I do something wrong?" Bella asked, rejection washing over her.

"God, no!" Edward exclaimed, "I was just thinking… maybe we should go to the bedroom."

Bella's eyes went wide, but she nodded enthusiastically.

He stood up, with her legs and arms locked around him. She giggled at the position, causing him to snicker. He placed his hands underneath her bum to keep her up, "My little spider monkey" he said affectionately, carrying her to the room.

They shared sweet kisses as he placed her on the bed. He lay on top of her, supporting his weight with his forearms, which were placed either side of her head. His fingers trailed down the strap of her bra.

"While I love this, and how amazing you look in it… can I?" he slipped it down suggestively.

Bella hesitatingly nodded, and lifted herself up so he could unclip the back. What if he didn't like what he saw? What if he thought her boobs were too small?

The doubt must have shown on her face, because when Edward finally looked up from her chest, he kissed her reassuringly.

"You are perfect."

He then lowered his head to her right breast, emerald eyes still on her.

He swirled his tongue around her pink nipple, and placed wet kisses around it. He then placed his whole mouth on it, sucking it in. Her body arched up, and she weaved her hands into his bronze hair, holding him to her.

"Edward" she cried, as his left hand plucked and played with her left breast. He released the right, before giving the left the same treatment.

Stars appeared in front of her eyelids, as he continued to play with her tits.

"Come for me Beautiful" he rasped, before continue to lick and suck and kiss…

"Ahhhhhhh"

The pressure that built up in her tummy exploded, and she swore that she could hear a hallelujah chorus. That had been her ever first orgasm that wasn't done by her own hand.

It took her a moment, to get back down from her high. People would probably laugh that she came just by fondling, but his unwavering look… his fingers… his kisses and licks… it had been spectacular.

He stoked away strands of hair away from her face, giving her a sweet kiss on the forehead.

"You were glorious" he whispered.

She smiled at him shyly, before letting out a wide yawn. Edward grinned, "bedtime?" he inquired.

"But you haven't-"

"Trust me Bella," he stopped her "I am perfectly content."

This seemed odd to Bella, as her previous boyfriends Alec and Demetri had always wanted to get off before her, sometimes never leaving her satisfied.

But this was Edward. Kind, wonderful Edward.

"C'mon baby, lets get into bed."

They removed their jeans but didn't bother with putting pyjamas on, and slid into the bed.

Despite it being extremely spacious, they wrapped themselves within each other, as if they were lying in a single bed.

He kissed her nose, and she tucked her head beneath his chin.

"Night Bell"

"Goodnight Edward."

 _I love you._


End file.
